Part I

The fashion and beauty industry is selected. This section focuses on FreshKong perfume,

a new brand of fragrance made by FreshKong Ltd (a hypothetical company). The poster is

designed to contain the six domains of UNESCO’s Framework for Cultural Statistics.

Figure 1. Design perfume advertisement/poster (seld-designed)

The concept of denotation can be applied to analyze the ad. The term denotation refers to the

item depicted in its picture, with no hidden or implied meaning (Akpan et al. 2019). From
looking at the ad notice, it exudes an air of refinement and class. The model in the picture is both

seductive and classy. The model is an attractive blonde woman who seems topless.

On the other hand, connotation is a hidden or suggested meaning that can only be

interpreted through a deeper understanding of the meaning they carry (Akpan et al., 2019). The

model is an attractive blonde woman who seems topless, which symbolizes seductiveness. She

also holds a bottle of perfume. This gives an impression that the perfume is classy and meant for

seductive women.

The signifier (the facial countenance of the model) and the signified (seductiveness) are

both included in the ad. The bottle of the perfume that the model hold is the sign, while

"FreshKong Perfume" is the signified. A sign is a piece of visual or verbal communication that

conveys a message via the use of a set of underlying connotations (Gilgun, 1999).

An icon is an appearance, sound, feel, taste, or smell that the signifier has in common

with, or is the signified. It is the ability to share some of the same characteristics. The model

gives the impression that the perfume is for a woman who wishes to radiate self-assurance and

elegance by displaying a confident stance.

An index is a mode in which signifiers and the signified are viewed or inferred to have a

strong cultural connection if they are related in some way. For instance, the model also has

interesting aspects about women and authority in a social hierarchy in Western civilization.

Some of these attributes are essential possessed by the ad's model. White, with golden hair and a

little nose, she is She's also a bit thin.

PART II

Internet industry: Amazon Alexa commercial

Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PLUwmnPJIGk

Ellen DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi are the couple features in an an Amazon Alexa

commercial that imagined life before the internet and a digital assistant existed. The ad is

targeted at household or families. The advertising premiered during the Super Bowl games of the

National Football League (NFL). During this time, many families watch the Super Bowl together

(Marketing The Rainbow, 2020).

The ad made use of ethos. Advertising uses ethos to persuade a customer to buy a product

using credible personalities (Shea, 2016). Using well-known personalities and their relationships

with modern technology helps the advertisement gain credibility. Ellen DeGeneres, a well-

known TV show host and comedian, introduces the commercial by speculating on what life

might be like if not for Alexa (Marketing The Rainbow, 2020).

The ad uses logos. The ad uses logical arguments to persuade the audience (Shea, 2016).

The Amazon commercial details the inconveniences associated with one’s daily schedule prior to

the development of leveraging the assistance of Alexa and highlights how the device can enable

simple household tasks such as adjusting the temperature. Due to increased responsibilities,

families are focusing on buying more products that offer convenience and allow them to spend

more time with their loved ones instead of performing mundane tasks (Marketing The Rainbow,

2020).

The ad also uses pathos. This involves manipulating the audience’s emotions (Shea,

2016). The ad utilized logos to demonstrate facts about why life is more convenient and

comfortable with a smart speaker by giving several facts and figures. As soon as you see

Amazon's ads, you are instantly struck by their depiction of a couple hurrying out of the home
for what looks to be a delightful dinner date. At this point, they utilize Alexa to change the house

settings and imagine what life would have been like without a digital assistant while leaving the

house (Marketing The Rainbow, 2020).

The ad also made use of snob appeal by displaying Ellen and her partner's opulent

lifestyle, which included a smart speaker. They utilized humor to indicate that not using a smart

speaker is old-fashioned and difficult.

References
Akpan, I., Akpan, E. & Obukoadata, P. 2019, 'A semiotic deconstruction of symbols in print

advertising contents: implications for consumers purchase decisions in Nigeria,' Research

on Humanities and Social Sciences, 3(13),13-27.

Berrio-Zapata, C., Moreira, F. & Sant'Ana, R. (2015). Barthes' rhetorical machine: mythology

and connotation in the digital,' Bakhtiniana, Rev. Estud. Discurso, 10(2), 1.

https://doi.org/10.1590/2176-457321910

Gilgun, J. (1999). Fingernails painted red: A feminist,semiotic analysis of a “hot” text.

Qualitative Inquiry, 5(2), 181-207.

Marketing The Rainbow. (2020, Feb 2). Amazon - #BeforeAlexa (Ellen Degeneres and Portia de

Rossi, Super Bowl, 2020). [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?

v=PLUwmnPJIGk

Shea, R. (2016). The rhetoric of advertising. The College Board